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mprovisational theater can be
awkward while the audience sits
in anxious silence, wondering
what the actors will do with the
suggestion tossed out by the
crowd. But it’s also a stage ripe
with possibilities, with no script
to follow and no set roles to be
ﬁlled. Members of Albuquerque’s
critically acclaimed professional
improv troupe, The Show, says
while they are on stage, they are
perfecting the art of what is funny.
“More often than not in improv
comedy you see ‘wacky’ jokes
and sketches,” said improviser
Melissa Heiman. “One of The
Show’s goals is to use our
intellect, not only to keep the
comedy grounded, but to make
our fellow players on stage look
good as we work together to
create a ‘slice of life… and the
‘funny’ emerges from that.” —CO

| ALBUQUERQUE’S INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE | AUGUST 9 - 22, 2012

18

AUG

AUG

FRI

A

SAT

G

etting tired of carting the
kids around to pools,
parks and other typical summer
destinations? Try something
hands-on, and a little different.
Mama’s Minerals, Albuquerque’s
local, long-time mineral and rock
shop, is hosting a Kids Day this
month. The store is known for its
eye-catching displays of crystals
and beads and its unique product
line of rocks, minerals, fossils and
stones from around the world. The
day will be ﬁlled with a number of
different activities — fun for all
ages — that will help you get in
touch with your inner rock hound
and treasure hunter. Everyone
loves pretty, shiny rocks, right?
Get a chance to excavate ancient
fossils, learn how arrowheads are
made and pan for gold. There will
be geode cracking and jewelrymaking galore! The kids will love
the opportunity to explore the
Fluorescent Minerals Darkroom,
and cherish the treasures they take
home! —MM

s desert dwellers, living
in a state where natural
disasters have nothing to do with
oceans and rain and everything
to do with heat and ﬂame, we
should be all too aware of the
vitality of life’s most precious
resource. Our relationship with
water is symbiotic, and like
any relationship, there is a lot
of maintenance involved. In
our current environmental and
economic crisis, an exploration
of this relationship could not
be more pertinent or necessary.
This panel discussion, led by
Amigos Bravos, a statewide river
conservation organization with
the mission statement of “We
have a vision of New Mexico’s
rivers and streams running so
clear and clean that you can bend
a knee to the water, cup your
hands and drink without fear,” is
meant to tackle the topic in an
illuminating way. —MM

G

uns can be a charged topic
of political discussion at
times, especially in the wake of
shootings like the recent incident
in Aurora, Colo. But gun control
debate aside, this event is about
the functionality and romance of
triggered ﬁrearms, not to mention
unique knives. The writer Edward
Abbey once said, “The riﬂe is
the weapon of democracy,” and
you’ll ﬁnd plenty on exhibit and
for sale, from Winchesters to
semi-automatics. You’ll also ﬁnd
historic collectibles such as Smith
& Wesson revolvers or Beretta
pistols. What you won’t ﬁnd is
much talk about the politics of
guns. This is an exhibit for gun
lovers like Dirty Harry himself.
“I have a very strict gun control
policy,” Clint Eastwood once said.
“If there’s a gun around, I want to
be in control of it.” —ME

20

AUG

Mama’s Minerals
1100 San Mateo NE, 505.266.8443

4 LOCAL iQ

Silver Spur Gun
and Blade Show
9a-5p, Sat.; 9a-4p,
Sun.; Aug. 18-19

Mama’s Minerals Kids Day
10a-2p, Sat., Aug. 11

60 Columbine Lane, Cedar Crest
505.281.5259

spiny soft-shell turtle, a New
Mexico whiptail lizard and
an assassin bug are just a few
of the terrestrial and aquatic
creatures explorers found during
the last BioBlitz near the Nature
Center. Next up, BioBlitz at
the Sandia Mountain Natural
History Center (SMNHC) in the
East Mountains. A joint project
between the New Mexico Museum
of Natural History and Science
and Albuquerque Public Schools,
SMNHC strives to educate
people about nature with family
fun events like BioBlitz. Over
the course of 24 hours, scientiﬁc
experts and the general public
will seek out and take inventory of
every wee living organism (plants
included) in ﬁve miles of trails in
Cedar Crest. On Friday evening,
there will be birding, small
mammal trap setting and a hike
at dusk — prime wildlife viewing
time. On Saturday, naturalists,
biologists and historians will share
knowledge about critters being
inventoried, forest health and
general ecology, culminating with
a celebration at 3p. —CO

esume of Crosby, David:
Inducted into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame twice (Byrds,
CSN). Age-71, interesting life and
life adventures, but has always
remained a top singer, songwriter
and guitar player. Played second
CSN concert at Woodstock in
1969. Past drug and gun issues
found him in prison in Texas for
about a year, but that’s old news.
Resume of Nash, Graham:
Inducted twice into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame (The Hollies and
CSN). Age-70. Born in England,
Nash is also an accomplished
photographer and composed
many of the early songs of CSN.
Politically active, he is a cofounder of Musicians for Safe
Energy.
Resume of Stills, Stephen:
Inducted into the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame twice, (Buffalo
Springﬁeld, CSN), Stills was
ranked by Rolling Stone as No.
28 in the top 100 guitar players
of all time. Age-67. Partially deaf,
Stills is still very involved in music
and is in the middle of making an
album of covers. —JB

MARQUEE

Local ﬁlm revival
After falling victim to ﬁnancial scandal, festival survives thanks to ﬁlm-friendly community
BY BILL NEVINS

“T

his year is about resurrecting
this movie festival from
a near-death experience,”
Albuquerque Film Festival
founder and director Rich Henrich told Local
iQ recently.
Henrich is not exaggerating. As a result
of the recent Bernie Madoff-like ﬁnancial
scandal involving the collapse of the San
Francisco, Calif. nonproﬁt International
Humanities Conference (IHC), (reported on
by The Los Angeles Times,
New Mexico Business Weekly
F E S T I VA L
and other major papers),
Henrich’s Film4Change,
Albuquerque
the New Mexico nonproﬁt
which presents the annual
Film Festival
festival, lost almost all of its
2012: Aliens
operating funds, which had
and Outlaws
been held since 2005 by its
trusted ﬁscal sponsor IHC.
Thu.-Sun., Aug. 16-19

Due to a proliﬁc nonproﬁt funding scandal of national scope that unfolded earlier this year, 2012 presented a bleak landscape
for the Albuquerque Film Festival. Admittedly, Rich Henrich, the founder and director of the still emerging festival, the ﬁnancial
rug had been pulled away to the point of collapse. Luckily, the local ﬁlm community (both public and private) pulled together
to, in Henrich’s words, “save this festival,” which will take place from Aug. 16 to 19 in Downtown Albuquerque. Among the festival’s screenings is ﬁlmmaker Korinna Sehringer’s Shouting Secrets (pictured).

“We found out in
$5/$10/$20 (DAY PASS)
January of this year that
KiMo Theatre
IHC was in trouble,”
However, Henrich tells us,
423 CENTRAL NW,
Henrich explained, “and
in his darkest hour, some
505.768.3522
by February, with the
powerful friends stepped
abqﬁlmfestival.com
FBI investigating, it was
up to the plate to help and
apparent that the funds of
encourage him to go forward.
hundreds of nonproﬁts,
“Ann Lerner of the City
including our own, had been
Film Ofﬁce, the Mayor’s
absconded with and could not be recovered.”
Ofﬁce, Bernalillo County, Universal and
Henrich said that was a sobering moment
Albuquerque Studios all joined to ask me
for the hopes of the emerging festival.
to keep the festival going,” Henrich said,
“and they have provided the facilities and
“That totally collapsed everything,” Henrich
support to make that possible, after all. I am
said. “It was devastating because, since
2005, we had been working to build this ﬁlm immensely grateful to these government
ofﬁces and businesses who have also given
festival and make it better each year. Now,
us support this year. They have saved this
with this, we could not pay our bills and my
festival.”
own salary was gone. And there was nothing
we could do about it. Just at the point of
Henrich waxes philosophical about how such
success, the rug was pulled out from under
adversity can bring the best in a community
us, and I thought the festival was ﬁnished.”
to the fore.

“It certainly is happening that way for us in
Albuquerque,” Henrich said, noting that this
year’s festival, whose theme is “Aliens and
Outlaws,” will have a hopeful, playful spirit,
including widely- beloved ﬁlms such as ET,
The Goonies, Heavy Metal and Mad Max, as
well as the Alex Cox-directed cult classics
Repo Man and Walker (which features a
highly-praised score composed by the late
Clash frontman Joe Strummer). Also on
the festival schedule this year is the New
Mexico-made independent feature Home
Sweet Home (“a fun horror ﬁlm that takes
place in daylight” according to Henrich),
the rock-band documentary Tension: 25 Years
Underground, the romantic feature Shouting
Secrets and the documentary Love Free or Die,
about an openly gay New Hampshire bishop.
Rounding out the schedule is a screening

of the ﬁlm Milagro Man, a biographical ﬁlm
about Taos novelist John Nichols.
Both famed director Cox and author Nichols
will attend and participate in Q&A sessions
during the festival, and there will be
professional panels on screenwriting, ﬁlm
and law, as well as true stories from “the
front lines of ﬁlm-making,” Henrich said,
noting that all screenings and panels will
take place in The KiMo.
Henrich, who has kept busy with teaching
and producing Serpent in the Bottle, an
N.M.-shot ﬁlm currently in post-production,
reiterated that “the fact that this festival is
happening this year is a huge testament to
our community. We are appealing to the love
people have for ﬁlms, and we are hoping for
a large audience turn-out.”

eauty Products. These two words bring to mind
visions of fancy containers ﬁlled with potions
that promise everything from soft skin to super
powers. If you’re female, you most likely have a
plethora of these, but most of them have been forced
into a reclusive existence in the back of your cabinet
providing nothing more than framework for spider webs.
I’m sure you have your reasons.
My own island of misﬁt products has accumulated
because, for me, most skin products trigger allergic
reactions, and hair products seem to evaporate within
minutes of application. It’s hard to throw away a
product you just spent money on, so into the vault it
goes. Another partially used bottle of goo to add to the
collection. Give it to a friend? Sure! She’ll be glad to
take it after you tell her how well it DIDN’T work for you,
right?
Seriously, ditch those useless products. Give ‘em the old
“it’s not you, it’s me” and let’s move on.
I’ve resorted to a more natural approach to beauty in
recent years, and I invite you to consider conversion.
Sure, some of those spendy alpha-hydra-fancy-stuff-wecan’t-pronounce-vitamin-complex things work for some,
but for those with sensitivities and health conscious
lifestyles, I offer you a list of some of my own tried and
true favorites you will probably ﬁnd in (of all places) your
kitchen.

Virgin Coconut Oil
Don’t use the pina colada scented slime used for
tanning. Found in any health food store, raw virgin
coconut oil should be white and hard when cool, and
become a clear, light oil when warmed. I use it daily as
an eye makeup remover. Using about a half teaspoon, I
close my eyes and gently massage it over the whole eye
area, including the lashes. Then I take a damp cloth and
gently wipe it off. After years of doing this, not a single
sign of crows feet. Just sayin’. Deep condition your hair
with it, use it as a frizz serum and massage it on dry skin
and cuticles.

Plain Yogurt

PHOTO BY WES NAMAN

Beauty secrets are only as deep as one’s kitchen pantry, according to Local iQ’s
newest columnist KoraLee Robinson, who suggests utilizing otherwise common ingredients, such as oatmeal, sea salt or baking soda, among others, as
substitutes to otherwise spendy, yet equally effective beauty products.

6 LOCAL iQ

The kryptonite of bad bacteria. The probiotic properties
of whole or low fat plain yogurt make it the perfect
remedy for all bacterial issues. Use it as a mask to
treat acne, and apply it to fungal rashes. The lactic acid
softens skin and reduces wrinkles. Use it to cool down a
sunburn and reduce peeling. Read about using it to cure
yeast issues, too.

| ALBUQUERQUE’S INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE | AUGUST 9 - 22, 2012

Oatmeal
You may already be aware of oatmeal’s soothing effects
on chicken pox and the like. Thanks, Mom. You can also
use it as a natural exfoliant. Just scoop up a handful, add
a little warm water and gently buff. I love to ﬁll a sock
with about a half cup of rolled oats, cinch the opening
and toss it in the tub like a tea bag. It softens my
skin, and soothes irritation, but make sure to rinse off
afterward, lest ye be itchy.

Sea Salt
Put it on your popcorn, and in your bath water. A cup
or so in the bath helps detoxify the skin. As a body
exfoliant, I make my own salt scrub by gradually adding
grape seed oil (one of the best emollient oils) to about
a cup of sea salt till I have a gritty paste. Then I add
essential oils such as lemon and peppermint, which
will leave you with a refreshing tingle, or lavender to
soothe and relax. The oil won’t dissolve the salt, so
you can make a lot and store it in a jar. Use it on your
feet, elbows, and hands to slough off dead skin and
moisturize. It makes a great gift in a cute vintage jar,
too!

Baking Soda
The obvious beneﬁt of baking soda is mouth care. But
if you have an oily scalp or product build-up in your
hair, you can mix it with your shampoo for squeakyclean locks. I like to scrub my ﬁnger and toe nails with
it to whiten them, and soften my cuticles. Put a few
tablespoons in smelly shoes and let it sit for a while to
freshen, please and thank you.
Remember, whether eating it or slathering it on your
body, organic is always best. There is a wealth of online
information on these and other food products with
beauty value, so let this list be a starting point to a more
beautiful you, inside and out. There’s a luxurious spa
day sitting in your pantry. Make an appointment!

HEALTH

Brush (and ﬂoss) your way to good health

O

ur little boy ﬁnally has most of his
little pearlies in and he is very excited
about brushing his teeth like his
mommy and daddy. As most parents
know, teaching our little ones renews our
appreciation for even the most mundane tasks.
While oral health may seem like a boring topic,
I assure you it is important and interesting ...
well, at least I think it is, now that I have to
teach it to my 2-year-old son.
I have become a better brusher and ﬂosser since
I have had to teach our son the skills. Up until
recently, I would regularly brush every morning
and most evenings. I would rarely ﬂoss. I
hated ﬂossing. The waxy string would be so
tightly wrapped around my ﬁngers that the tips
would be blue from suffocation. During my last
dentist visit, the hygienist was concerned about
the cement-like tartar that encased my lower
teeth. He pointed to a sign that read (in big
letters): “You don’t have to ﬂoss all your teeth.”
“Fantastic,” I thought. I hate ﬂossing ... but I
can ﬂoss a few teeth. The sign concluded (in
little letters), “only the ones you want to keep!”
What? I would like to keep all my teeth, thank
you very much.
Dental health has improved remarkably over the
past few decades, mostly due to ﬂuoride in our
drinking water and decreased use of tobacco.
However, 25 percent of those over 60 years and
5 percent of adults between 40 and 59 years are
still missing all their natural teeth. Five percent
means a surprising one out of 20 middle-aged
adults are toothless! Even though losing all
your teeth or gnarly breath may be your greatest
concerns if you have poor oral health, there may
be many more consequences to not taking care
of your teeth.
Your oral health can offer clues about your
overall health. Your mouth is full of mostly
harmless bacteria. The body’s natural defenses
and daily brushing and ﬂossing keep these
bacteria under control. Sometimes harmful
bacteria can grow out of control and cause oral
infections, tooth decay, and gum disease. Also,
medications and dental procedures may disrupt
the normal balance of bacteria in your mouth or
breach the mouth’s normal protective barriers
and make it easier for bacteria to enter your

Even though losing all your teeth or gnarly breath may
be your greatest concerns if you have poor oral health,
there may be many more consequences to not taking
care of your teeth.
bloodstream.
Your oral health may affect multiple diseases
and conditions, including:
• Endocarditis. Gum disease and dental
procedures that cut your gums may allow
bacteria to enter your bloodstream. If you have
a weak immune system or a damaged heart
valve, this can cause infection in the heart.

• Replace your toothbrush every three to four
months. If your toothbrush is so battered it
looks like it has been cleaning grout lines, it
probably is as dirty.
• Floss daily. I still cannot use dental ﬂoss. I
am comfortable using a ﬂosser (looks like a
toothbrush with a bit of string on the end). My
ﬁnger tips are no longer suffering.
• Eat a healthy diet and limit between-meal
snacks.

• Cardiovascular disease. Some research
suggests that heart disease, heart attack and
stroke may be linked to chronic inﬂammation
from severe gum disease.

• Schedule yearly dental checkups. If you don’t

have dental insurance consider First Choice
Community Healthcare (fcch.com).
After teaching my little one to brush, I am sure
I am taking better care of my own teeth. I am
committed to and looking forward to having a
full set of teeth until the end of my days, with
the added beneﬁts of good breath and maybe
less infection and heart disease.
Dr. Abinash Achrekar (Dr. Ash) is an assistant professor of cardiology, internal medicine and public
health at the University of New Mexico. Send any
comments or questions to abinash@local-iQ.com.

• Pregnancy and birth. Gum disease has been
linked to premature birth and low birth weight.
This is just a small list of conditions that
your oral health can affect. To protect your
oral health and overall health, a few simple
mundane tasks can help you keep all your teeth
healthy. For example:
• Brush your teeth at least twice a day.
Consider brushing after lunch as well. I keep a
toothbrush in my ofﬁce.

Ah-ha moment
For the past 20 years, contemporary artist Ron Cooper has been crafting his master work
in an altogether groundbreaking medium: agave
“Mezcal and soda. No lime. That’s about as
sophisticated as I get.”
—RON COOPER, OWNER, DEL MAGUEY MEZCAL

BY KEVIN HOPPER

D

espite all the things that your
average modern-day hipster
mixologist will tell you about Ron
Cooper, the visionary behind Del
Maguey Mezcal, the fact that he is an artist
ﬁrst and foremost should be the one thing
you remember.
It is very true that this longtime Taoseño
crafts what is regarded as perhaps the
best mezcal on the planet, a smoky,
complex distillate that currently has the
global mixology scene all aﬂutter. But it
is contemporary art where Cooper ﬁrst
established a name for himself, leading to
illustrious international exhibits in such
esteemed museums as the Whitney and
Guggenheim among others, as well as
lifelong relationships with fellow artists such
as Ed Ruschca, Larry Bell, Jim Ganzer and
Dennis Hopper.
Yet, the artistic medium that ended up best
suiting Cooper (even though he continues to
paint) was of the liquid variety, speciﬁcally
mezcal, an alcoholic spirit
made from the maguey
PROFILE
plant and most commonly
found in Oaxaca, Mexico.
It is there where Cooper
Ron Cooper
engages the services
FOUNDER, DEL
of Zapatec palenqueros
MAGUEY MEZCAL
(mezcal producers), who
mezcal.com
have learned the craft
from their forefathers and
continue to make mezcal in
the traditional manner.

PHOTOS BY WES NAMAN

Ron Cooper cut his artistic teeth in midcentury Los Angeles with the likes of Ed
Ruschca and Larry Bell. However, it wasn’t
until 1990 that Cooper began what may just
be his greatest life work: handmade mezcal
from Oaxaca, Mexico, which has been the
toast of the spirits world of late. Though it
is best enjoyed neat in a shallow handmade
terra cotta cup, or on the rocks, that hasn’t
stopped modern mixologists from experimenting with Cooper’s Del Maguey mezcal.
For just such a recipe, turn the page to ﬁnd
Kate Gerwin’s recipe for “Oaxaca Swizzle.”

“A work of art is successful if it transforms
the viewer. It could be a nude; it could be
a sunset; it could be a still life; it could be
an abstract; it can be made out of garbage,”
Cooper related to Local iQ after a recent
mezcal tasting/seminar for the New Mexico
chapter of the United States Bartender’s
Guild (USBG), held in the lounge of North
Valley restaurant Vernon’s Hidden Valley
Steakhouse. “But to be successful, it has to
have that ‘ah-ha’ moment.”
From a strictly artistic standpoint, Cooper
wholeheartedly believes that the Single
Village Mezcal he has been crafting over the
past two decades, utilizing his deep cultural
relationships with Zapotec Mexican Indian
producers, possesses that “ah-ha moment.”
In fact, as an artist, it may just be his single
greatest work.
“I ﬁnd these mezcals to be truly
transformative,” Cooper continued. “You sip
these mezcals and, at some point, you have
that beautiful ah-ha moment as well. So they
ﬁt my criteria for a good work of art.”

is much more complex than any tequila on
the market, exuding a rich smokiness, earthy
character and chewy mouthfeel. All tequilas
are ﬁrst mezcals. In fact, any distillate
made from agave is considered mezcal.
The name Tequila is similar to Champagne
or Bordeaux; it’s a region in Mexico. All
mezcals are not tequilas, but all tequilas are
mezcals.

For those who have never tasted it, mezcal

And while mezcal might not be an

8 LOCAL iQ

| ALBUQUERQUE’S INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE | AUGUST 9 - 22, 2012

acceptable medium for even the most looseknit art collectives, it doesn’t detract from
Cooper’s oeuvre one bit. If anything, it has
catapulted him to icon status in the current
cocktail revivalist movement, which has
everything to do with taking a more artisanal
approach to crafting quality drinks. You
might say, mini works of art in a martini
glass. In this arena, Cooper is considered
Picasso.

Alongside Cooper’s artistic bent on mezcal
production is an emphasis on sustainability,
fair trade and organics — from day one, Del
Maguey has been an organic production (one
of the ﬁrst mezcals to have that distinction).
Cooper pays his palenqueros well above the
industry standard, and he even recruited
hundreds weavers from nearby Oaxacan
villages to weave one-of-a-kind covers for
every bottle. In essence, since Cooper
arrived in Oaxaca in 1990, he has positively
impacted the lives of many people in the
area, which have positively impacted the
distinguished palates of tipplers across the
globe. However, though mexcal is now the
darling of the spirits world, it’s been a drawn
out process for Cooper to get there.
“I sold my property in Taos, and every
sculpture I’ve done, every bronze, every
commission I’ve made has gone to keep
Del Maguey alive,” Cooper said of the
two decades that he has been in business,
adding that only last year did he begin to
pay himself. “Finally it’s gotten to where it is
self-sustaining, and it really makes me feel
good.”

FOOD

Sans chile, Duke City a
much blander town

W

ith the green chile harvest in full
swing in the southern part of the
state, it’s time to take a look at how
chile peppers have inﬂuenced the
cuisine of the Duke City.
Even before Fabian Garcia, a seminal researcher
at what is now New Mexico State University,
began to standardize New Mexican chile
peppers in 1901, the ﬁery pods were dominant
in the cuisine of the Duke City. In 1846, William
Emory, Chief Engineer of the Army’s Topographic
Unit, was surveying the New Mexico landscape
and reporting on its customs. He described a
meal eaten by people in Bernalillo, just north
of Albuquerque: “Roast chicken, stuffed with
onions; then mutton, boiled with onions; then
followed various other dishes, all dressed with
the everlasting onion; and the whole terminated
by chile, the glory of New Mexico.” Emory went
on to relate his experience with chiles: “Chile
the Mexicans consider the chef-d’oeuvre of the
cuisine, and seem really to revel in it; but the
ﬁrst mouthful brought the tears trickling down
my cheeks, very much to the amusement of the
spectators with their leather-lined throats. It was
red pepper, stuffed with minced meat.”
During the Indian wars and Civil War in New
Mexico, Albuquerque was a principal supply
center for the forts being built all over the
Southwest, and warehousing became an
important business. In the early to mid-1800s,
the area around Albuquerque was the largest
sheep-growing district in the state, which
meant that mutton was a large part of the diet.
Subsistence farming was common on small
parcels of land in the north and south valleys
and extra fruit and vegetables were peddled to
the nearby pueblos. There was a cattle boom
after the Civil War and particularly during the
1880s, and beef replaced mutton as the most
common meat served in Albuquerque.
In her 1947 book, Albuquerque, Erna Fergusson
discussed the long tradition of New Mexican
cooking, which stretched back to the early days
of the settlement of the town. “The larder was
limited. Beef, mutton, pork and fowl were varied
by game and dried buffalo meat from the plains.
Vegetables grew but were used in sauces and
gravies rather than alone. Fruit was eaten fresh
in its short season, and dried on wide trays for
storing. Corn was used in every way — from
soup to desserts — and the lowly brown bean
appeared at every meal. Chile grew in every
man’s garden and was the only condiment. A
limited diet, but good cooks invented many a
savory combination and the modern epicure
rates — New Mexican cookery, when properly
done — with the best.”

This is the classic enchilada dish served at the
early 1960s Albuquerque restaurant, Videz,
owned by Pete Benavidez. The restaurant was
torn down to make way for Interstate 40, but the
recipe lives on.

Cover the chiles with very hot water and soak
for 20 to 30 minutes or until limp and partially
rehydrated. Place the chiles in the blender (they
should loosely ﬁll 3/4 of the container, if more,
make two small batches.) Fill the container up
near the top with water. Drop in the clove of
garlic and sprinkle the top with the oregano. Add
a little salt at this stage if you wish. Blend for 2
to 3 minutes on high or until a homogeneous or
orangish-red mixture is obtained.
Pour the mixture into a saucepan and add the
pork. Cook, covered over a very low heat or
uncovered at a slight bubble, for 2 to 3 hours. If
cooked uncovered, periodically add water back
to original level to maintain proper consistency
which I can only describe as medium soupy.
Remove the pork pieces and save for another
meal such as carne adovada. Place the chile
sauce in the refrigerator and cool. Remove any
fat that congeals on the top.
Season the beef with a little salt and pepper and
saute until the meat is no longer pink.
Combine the sauce and beef and simmer,
covered, for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.
Fry three tortillas per person in a couple of
inches of oil until they are slightly harder than
taco shells — they soften in the pool of red chile
as they are being eaten. As they are removed
from the oil with tongs, dip each into the red
chile pot until they are fully submerged. Remove
and place on a plate and top with some cheese
and onion.
Continue the process until the tortillas are
stacked three high on each plate.
Ladle red chile, including a small amount of the
meat, over the tortilla stack until it is puddled
up as deep as it will stand around the base of
the stack. Cover the enchilada lightly with grated
cheese and place in a 250 degree oven for 20
minutes.

Dave DeWitt, a.k.a. “The Pope of Peppers,” is coproducer of the National Fiery Foods & BBQ Show
and editor of the Fiery Foods & BBQ SuperSite at
fiery-foods.com.
LOCAL iQ | ALBUQUERQUE’S INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE | AUGUST 9 - 22, 2012

9

DRINK

Ancient Mezcal best when
swizzled, not stirred

I

bought my ﬁrst “swizzle stick” at Tales of the Cocktail,
the world’s premier cocktail festival, which takes place
every year during the last week of July in New Orleans.
A meeting of the most respected minds in mixology,
Tales of the Cocktail (or “Tales” as we cocktail nerds call
it) also happens to be the ﬁrst place I met Ron Cooper,
owner of Del Maguey Mezcal (see proﬁle on page 8),
which is a bit odd since he has lived in New Mexico for
some time.
Cooper is a legend in my world, just the mention of his
name makes spirits professionals across the globe giddy
with excitement. And not just because of the astonishing,
world renowned village mezcals he produces at Del
Maguey, but because he is an artist and a storyteller.
Listening to him speak takes you to a place in Mexico that
you don’t have to visit to feel the spirit of.
A swizzle stick is a bartending tool used to make, well
... swizzles. And believe it or not, it comes from the
swizzlestick tree which grows in the Caribbean. Seriously,
no joke, it’s called a swizzlestick tree. So, what’s a
swizzle? It’s an alcoholic drink that dates back to the late
18th century and contrary to beliefs that is must contain
rum or pineapple juice, a swizzle is about two things,
crushed ice and technique. I even went to a swizzle
seminar at Tales last year. Again, no joke.
So here are the basics. The crushed ice will dilute the
cocktail more quickly than cubes, so it is recommended
to use spirits higher in alcohol content. A swizzle is
built in the glass that it is served in. Meaning you add
your ingredients into your serving glass top with a little
crushed ice and swizzle, then add more ice and swizzle
again until the glass is nice and frosted, then ﬁnish the

10 LOCAL iQ

drink with more crushed ice. To swizzle, you place the
swizzle stick in the palms of your hands and roll it back
and forth swiftly. This will create the best adult snow
cone you have ever taken pleasure in, perfect for summer
cocktails.

Oaxaca Swizzle
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz. Del Maguey Chichicapa Mezcal
1/2 oz. Green Chartreuse
1/4 oz. Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
1 oz. Fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. Agave syrup
Top with two dashes of Peychauds Bitters.
Katy Gerwin is the bar manager at Imbibe, vice president
of the United States Bartender’s Guild New Mexico and the
president of the New Mexico chapter of Ladies United for the
Preservation of Endangered Cocktails.

| ALBUQUERQUE’S INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE | AUGUST 9 - 22, 2012

PHOTO BY WES NAMAN

DRINK

Let palate dictate pleasure, not pocketbook

A

few weeks ago, while enjoying some
Marble Rye PA (I enjoy well-crafted
beer as much as well-crafted wines),
someone asked me about the
relationship between wine quality and cost. “I
used to enjoy $10 bottles of wine, then I began
drinking $15 bottles of wine and I don’t enjoy
the $10 bottles anymore,”she said. “If I start
drinking $30 bottles, will I still be able to enjoy
the $15 bottles?”
Though she was speaking primarily of red wines,
I have since been pondering the overwhelming
and unnecessary inﬂuence that cost
has on perceived quality. This month
I want to drop the price tag to under
$10 and suggest you try something
that really only shines in the
sweltering summer heat: Vinho Verde.
Through a Bottle Clearly
Those of you not familiar with this
wine might have passed right over
it in the white wine aisles assuming
something that cheap must be rotgut. While I have found some serious
swill on the cheap end of the
spectrum, Vinho Verde is a lovely
exception. It is mass produced
in northernmost Portugal and
consumed by the pallet-load
throughout the world. While
the name means “green
wine,” the bottles are most
often clear (like many white
wine bottles) and the wine is
almost colorless. The green
moniker refers to the youth
of the wine and it’s fresh,
simple character. These
wines tend to have just a
wee bit of effervescence
too, which adds to their
refreshing character.
It’s Not Easy Being Green
Tyler Coleman, in his book
A Year Of Wine, calls Vinho
Verde the “ultimate ‘notserious’ wine.” This captures
the personality and purpose
of this wine in a nutshell. It
also explains why so many
wine enthusiasts barely
consider Vinho Verde a
legitimate wine. It is made
from a blend of a handful
of grapes, most commonly
Alvarinho, Trajadura and
Loureiro. Tthere is also a red
vinho verde, but so little is

exported we’ll ignore it for now.
If you’re expecting the ﬂavors and aromas of
something like Spanish Albariño, you
won’t ﬁnd them here. Instead you will
ﬁnd something more akin to a lively
spritzer. My friend Lauren described
her Vinho Verde tasting experience
more like “fresh-squeezed citrus and
soda water.” This is the strength and
weakness of “green wine” — not too
tart, not too sweet, not too anything.
If you are looking for something to
enjoy on a hot day, though, it hits the
spot. The alcohol content is usually
quite low so you can enjoy it poolside
without fear of any Brian Jones or
Dennis Wilson moments.

The alcohol content
of Vinho Verde is
usually quite low
so you can enjoy it
poolside without
fear of any Brian Jones
or Dennis Wilson
moments.

out in comparison to the others.
While I don’t think of Vinho Verde as a food
wine, you might be surprised when you have it
with fried food. My friends and I were eating at
Holy Cow not long ago and we had the Gazela

while eating their sweet potato fries. (If you’re
only going to put three white wines on your
wine-by-the-glass list, it’s a great idea to make
one Vinho Verde for $5 a glass.) It worked
great, despite the fact that it was nearly room
temperature when the server brought it out.
For the record, Vinho Verde, like Budweiser
or Chihuahua, should be enjoyed as cold as
possible to maximize its refreshment.
At the end of the day, I encourage you to go buy
yourself a few bottles and chill them down in
the fridge before you enjoy them with friends
at your next backyard pool or garden party.
Your enjoyment of wine doesn’t have to include
highbrow pomp. Drink what you like and drink
it without shame. It will cost you less than $20
and you will be glad you tried something new.
If you are curious about wine, you are not alone.
I encourage all readers to start a wine dialogue.
Please send your wine-related questions or comments to sam@local-iQ.com. Cheers.

The Price Is Right
I would be remiss in my
duties if I didn’t offer
recommendations personally
selected from our local
shelves. Once I decided to
write this month’s column
I immediately went out and
purchased ﬁve bottles to try
with friends in order to get
feedback. I purchased the
Vinho Verde from Famega,
Gazela, Casal Garcia and
Twin Vines. Each of these
sells for around $7 to $10
at Quarters, Jubilation and
Whole Foods. I decided to
“splurge” and spend $12
on a bottle from Broadbent
Selections as well.
In the end, based on my
own tasting and input from
various miscreants with
whom I associate, they
all are fairly comparable.
The Broadbent Selection,
however, had a little
more body and aroma,
while remaining light and
refreshing. Perhaps the fact
that it is made with Trajadura
and Loureiro grapes without
Alvarinho might have made
the aroma and taste stand

S
For close to a century, the Santa Fe Indian Market has been a huge draw for art enthusiasts across the globe seeking to ﬁnd and purchase original
Native American art directly from the artists. The event will take place on August 18 and 19 at the Santa Fe Plaza, and will coincide with the 12th Annual Native cinema Showcase.

or 91 years, Native American artists have gathered for a
weekend of beauty at the Santa Fe Indian Market, a highly
acclaimed art show and New Mexico’s largest attended annual
weekend event. An estimated 100,000 visitor’s ﬂock to the
state’s capitol from all over the world.
The streets, though crowded, are not
ART
uncomfortable. The market is spread
over 14 blocks on and surrounding
Santa Fe
the Santa Fe Plaza and extending to
Indian Market
Cathedral Park.
Sat.-Sun., Aug. 18-19
“There is space for all of our visitors,”
For complete schedule
said Tailinh Agoyo, director of public
and individual event
relations and marketing at Southwestern
times, visit swaia.org
Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA).
The Historic Santa Fe
“The vast number of people in
Plaza
attendance adds to the excitement of
INFO: 505.983.5220
Indian Market. The excitement and
energy on Saturday morning of Indian
FREE
Market is like nothing else in the world.”
Every year, after the third Thursday in
FILM
August, the plaza is alive with turquoise
12th Annual
jewelry, long, velvet Navajo dresses,
Concho belts, fry bread, pinto beans,
Native Cinema
drums and dance. The Indian Market is
Showcase
produced by SWAIA, and features more
Sun.-Mon., Aug. 13-19
than 600 booths where more than 1,000
VISIT SWAIA.ORG FOR
artists from about 250 tribes display their
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
work.
New Mexico History
“Even though there are many ways now
Museum
that a client can ﬁnd and buy from artists
105 WEST PALACE,
these days, there is still nothing that
505.476.5100, SANTA FE
can replace the face-to-face interaction,”
nmhistorymuseum.org
said John Torres-Nez, deputy director of
SWAIA.
You’ll ﬁnd jewelry, textiles, sculpture,
pottery, paintings, drawings, graphics, photography, moving images,
diverse arts, pueblo wooden carvings, and lesser known crafts like
weaving, ﬁligree, basketry, bead and quill-work. This is high-quality,
juried art. Many visitors and collectors make a point to arrive early

12 LOCAL iQ

because artists are known to sell out quickly. In addition to the
excitement of purchasing directly from the artist, who’ll often explain
their creative process as well as any symbolism, purchasing from juried
markets ensures the art is prestigious and genuinely Native American.
“I am looking forward to all of the fantastic events during Indian
Market Week — visiting with friends and family, and of course, seeing
the world-class artwork that Native artists from tribes all over the U.S.
and Canada will bring,” said Agoyo.
A live public art project will also be presented during the Indian Market.
“The Hour Has Arrived” involves Native artists painting collaborative
murals on an enormous canvas — a wall of the New Mexico Museum
of Fine Art building. There’s also an evening panel discussion with
prominent Native public artists, a ﬁne art exhibition of the genre on
canvas, a public art mentorship for tribal youth, pop-up public art
performances, and a children’s art tent, located in front of the Library
on Washington, holding interactive art projects.

Native Film
A new element to the Indian Market is the line-up of ﬁlms for the
Native Cinema Showcase. Many ﬁlmmakers and actors will be present
at the screenings, including Chaske Spencer, known for his role as Sam,
the leader of Jacob’s wolf pack in the Twilight franchise – who will be at
the screening of his new ﬁlm, Shouting Secrets, and director Chris Eyre
who will be at multiple screenings for his new ﬁlm, Hide Away.
“The quality of the ﬁlmmakers that have entered (the showcase) is now
equal to that of the other great art forms at the Indian Market,” said
Torres-Nez.
Spencer will also service as the celebrity judge for the Native American
Clothing Contest (NACC), a famous competition and the most
photogenic event during the Indian Market. Esteemed fashion designer
Tom Ford acted as the non-Native judge at last year’s NACC. Held on
the plaza stage on the ﬁnal day of the Indian Market, the NACC is
also juried by six Native American expert judges from various tribes
and offers the opportunity to view the best in Native fashion, from
traditional clothing to couture. Styles vary from traditional hand-woven
items to high-fashion gowns and accessories, with each designs rooted
in time-honored customs.
No other event is comparable to the size, scale and focus of the Santa
Fe Indian Market. There really is something for everyone — art, music,
ﬁlm, food, fashion, and above all, fellowship.

| ALBUQUERQUE’S INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE | AUGUST 9 - 22, 2012

ummer nights should be spent
outside, on a patio, beer in hand
and watching The Big Lebowski. So
why not make a night out of it and hit
up Santa Fe for exactly that? The Dude
would abide, but best swap the beer for a
White Russian.
For those unfamiliar with the movie,
“The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges)
is mistaken for a
Movie Night
millionaire, Jeffrey
on The Patio:
Lebowski (David
The Big
Huddleston), and is
Lebowski
coerced into paying a
7p, Sat., Aug. 11
debt he knows nothing
Santa Fe Sol
Stage & Grill
about. The Dude’s
37 Fireplace
bowling buddy, Walter
$5
(John Goodman) helps
solfosantafe.com
take on a one-time,
high-payoff job while
trying to get compensated for a rug that
was “ruined” by two thugs.
Beautiful and cool summer nights are
something we have plenty of in New
Mexico, but movie night on the patio is
something we don’t quite get enough
of, so it would be in your best interest to
take advantage of such an occasion. Plus,
when was the last time you got to see
this ﬁlm on the big screen? 1998? Right,
so make that your weekend plan. —JD

ART

I

n the same way a written ethnography
explores the facets of a culture, each
collection of ethnographic art shows
more than the aesthetic taste of a
culture. The more than 150 dealers at
this show each
29th Annual
have pieces of
Antique
jewelry, devotional
Ethnographic Art
pieces, furniture,
Show
rugs, baskets,
GALA PREVIEW:
pottery, textiles and
6-9p, Thu., Aug. 9
paintings among
$75/includes Fri. &
other works.
Sat. admission
Attendees can
10a-6p, Fri., Aug. 10
simply browse the
$10, $17/2 day
goods or ask the
admission
dealers to share
10a-5p, Sat., Aug. 11
their expertise
$10
to ﬁnd out more
Santa Fe Community
about the cultures
Convention Center
from which they
201 W. Marcy,
came. Some of
505.955.6200
the cultures and
areas to be represented are Oceanic,
Pre-Columbian, Spanish Colonial,
African, Oriental and Indonesian.
Cowgirl Restaurant is catering the
preview opening and there will also
be a complimentary drink plus live
entertainment and a cash bar. The
preview is open to everyone. —AS

RELATIONSHIPS

No place for judgement in healthy marriage

L

et’s open with the assumption that you
and your spouse cannot agree about
something. It may be about how to parent
your children, or about overcoming an
annoying habit that is bothering one of you. In
fact, it may be about anything that has become
an obstacle in the relationship.
Most of us are uncomfortable with conﬂict.
Small irritations become entrenched
resentments, eroding communication and
blocking problem-solving. When a real crisis
develops, we don’t have the skills to dig
ourselves out.
Chances are you end up reacting in one or more
of the following ways:
• Get mad inside but keep quiet and give the
other the “silent treatment.”
• Withdraw to a safe distance because you
don’t like to argue.
• Get angry, criticize, call names, use sarcasm
or some other aggressive behavior.
• Give in; say “I guess you are right” with a big
sigh, be submissive in order to avoid conﬂict.
• Deny or pretend that “everything is okay” and
no conﬂict exists here.

These are all common, but usually very
ineffective methods of coping with conﬂict.
For most of us, it is in those tough moments
— in a personal conﬂict or in an argument —
when it’s clear how our communication habits
can prevent us from having the remarkable
relationship we really want.
Thou Shall Not Judge
I do believe you married the right person, when
you stood up in front of all those people and
declared your vows on your wedding day. It’s

just that once you’re married, all the differences
begin to surface. Married couples just don’t
have the skills to deal with these differences —
conﬂict is badly handled differences.
What’s important to realize is that most
negative marital interchanges are about
judgments. As soon as you judge your partner,
they stop listening and you stop getting what
you need. Judging implies that something
is wrong with them, that they are not good
enough. It’s easy to fall into the habit of judging
the people closest to us, especially our partner.
However, continuing down the slippery slope of
judgment makes us:
• Unable to be open to our partner’s
point of view and
• Unlikely to get what we need.
The Power of Knowing Your Needs
Most couples view negotiation as a trip to the
torture chamber. That’s because their efforts
are usually fruitless, and they come away from
the experience battered and bruised. Who
wants to negotiate when you have nothing but
disappointment and pain to look forward to?
So, how can you truly negotiate something
important in your relationship with ease and
grace? First, you need to let go of what I call
adversary images of the other person — a ﬁxed
idea about them that comes from a judgment

or diagnosis of them. This judgment — “my
partner is selﬁsh, an ass, stupid, etc.” — is a
ﬁxed notion of them, and it creates distance and
separation between the two of you.
Conscious negotiation helps us focus on
mutual, instead of thinking and speaking in
terms of dehumanizing labels or other habitual
patterns of communication which are easily
heard as demanding and antagonistic. It is
far better to take a soft approach and state
the problem from what you need, “Hey honey,
would you be willing to take out the trash?” then
from the position that your partner is wrong or
bad, “God, you always forget to take the trash
out and it really pisses me off!”
Compromise vs. Collaboration
Will your plans take both of your needs into
consideration? Will you keep at it until you’re
both satisﬁed? Understanding the difference
between compromise and collaboration will play
a big part in you and your partner’s willingness
and ability to stick with the negotiation process.
Compromise says “it is me against you.” It
begins by identifying what you both want. Then
seeing who’s willing to give up parts of what
they want until you both can live with what’s
left. This is based in the belief that there isn’t
enough to go around, so you have to settle for
whatever you can get.
Collaboration speaks abundance. It begins by
identifying what you both need and what is
missing. Then, as you negotiate — keeping
your attention focused on everyone’s values
— strategies will emerge that make it possible

for both of you to be satisﬁed, without any
compromise needed.
How this Works
What couples “want” is actually a strategy
for being understood at a deep level. When
we tune into our partner’s needs, we connect
meaningfully with their concerns and engage
in mutually beneﬁcial dialogue. In this type of
negotiation, mutual trust and genuine respect
increase and you both feel included and
consulted.
If you try this at home, you’ll be surprised how
often the “judging voice” in your mind pops up
when viewing your spouse’s behavior. You will
begin to be aware of mutual verbal “attacks” in
the marriage. Once you become aware of the
judging voice and the attacks, you can proceed
to eliminate them and have a healthier marriage.
You start to observe without judging. Then you
start listening to what your partner really is
saying, and grasp what their actual needs are.
Mutual understanding and connection develops;
the marriage gets better.
It turns out that we choose mates who are
different than ourselves. This causes problems
after the initial infatuation wears off. But
it’s actually better. In the beginning of a
relationship, love and attraction are about
similarities, but moves to differences as the
relationship matures. It is understanding these
differences that makes a relationship strong.
Ana Loiselle (nmrelationshipcenter.com,
505.872.8743) is a licensed relationship coach,
speaker and author.

n the waning months of summer, students and parents all have one thing on their minds: Back
to School! ‘Tis the season to pick out notebooks, computers and (the best part) a whole new
wardrobe ﬁt for learning.
When seeking out the best clothes for the upcoming academic year, consider sparing yourself from
the hectic shopping mall madness. Shopping locally for school clothes is a great way to support
your community, and look sharp in unique school year staples not found in big retail super stores.
Local iQ shines a guiding light on some of the best local places to gear-up for a great looking
school year. Here are our favorite looks in action worn by some of the most fashion savvy students
in Albuquerque. Meet the class of 2013, Local iQ style!

BACK TO AFTER-SCHOOL
THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF POPULAR LOCAL ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS TO DO
AFTER THE SCHOOL BELL RINGS.
APS before and after care
programs
Activities span a wide range of
topics and ages to keep kids safe
while having fun.
ALL APS LOCATIONS

Scooterville USA
Requiring less money and gas than
automobiles, scooters might be the ideal
transportation to get back to school
BY CHARLIE CRAGO

A

s the price of gasoline continues
to hamper the average citizen’s
ability to efﬁciently maintain
transport throughout the
urban sprawl, two-stroke enthusiasts
have taken root in Albuquerque over the
past half decade or so. Given the fact that
current legislation in many states does not
require licensing or registration to pilot a
two-wheeler under 50cc, it’s not hard to
understand the strictly monetary advantages
of driving a scooter, especially when you’re
a starving college kid. However, as this new
breed of tight denim-clad devotees will attest
to, efﬁciency isn’t the ﬁnal word in the world
of scooting. Fashion is also as relevant, or
nearly as relevant as cutting costs on average
mpg, with many 100cc scooters boasting
nearly 100 miles to the gallon.
For Dandee Fleming, poster child for the
scooter community in Albuquerque, driving
a scooter is as simple as enjoying the little
things in life. As Fleming was quick to
point out, his passion for scooters, which he
shares with many others across the country,
is one deep-seeded in wonderful childhood

PROFILE

Where to
Scoot?

memories.
“Originally I was interested in scooters
because, as a kid, I drove two-stroke
motorcycles,” Fleming told Local iQ in a
recent interview. “There’s something about
the sounds and smells (of a two-stroke) that
reminds me of being a kid.”
The scooter has become its own symbol
of independence, with drivers sensing
unspoken bonds as they pass through
intersections. Still, even within this
subculture there are divisions. Drivers of
vintage scooters often scoff at the ﬂashy
bikes their modern counterparts operate.
Several scooter shops have sprung up in
Albuquerque over the last decade, such as
Blue Smoke Garage and Downtown Scooter,
offering would be riders every ﬂavor under
the two-wheel rainbow.

The following is a list
of scooter shops in the
Albuquerque area, many
of which will provide
everything one needs to
get geared up, running
and scooting along.
Accessory Pit
8509 CONSTITUTION
NE, 505.292.2700

Finicky followers
To the untrained eye, all scooters may
appear to be the same. On the contrary, the
subtle differences are not lost on the true
scooter enthusiast. It is something that is
tantamount to the Ford vs. Chevrolet debate;
while proponents on both sides of the

argument use essentially the same product,
they are ﬁercely loyal to the brand with
which they most associate. It seems likely
that both sides of the argument possess
relevance, as the older, two-stroke models
(which use less gas) produce more climatedamaging emissions, the newer, more
environmentally friendly four-stroke models
are less gas-efﬁcient. At the end of the day it
probably comes down to nothing more than
individual preference.

The safety debate
Though as socially responsible adults, or
something vaguely resembling an adult,
it is not possible to ignore the ﬁnancial
implications of owning a scooter. The
question that must be raised is whether the
ﬁnancial beneﬁts outweigh the risks to life
and health brought on by driving scooter. It
is no secret that human beings do not always
act as rational beings. Many of us know that
smoking is detrimental to our health, though
we continue to smoke.
The obvious fact that driving a scooter on
Albuquerque roadways that are packed with
giant pickups and possibly drunk drivers is
a big risk, though many riders continue to
operate scooters. If we lived in a world where
everyone was forced to drive scooters with
engines no larger than 250cc, it would be
far safer to operate a two-wheeler. But this
is not the case, and to compound matters,
because current legislation does not require
registration or licensing for scooters with
engines that are 50 ccs and below. This
means many of those driving scooters may
be operating under the false zimpression
that because these vehicles are less-powerful
than their larger four-wheeled counterparts,
they are somehow safer. This, unfortunately,

Though this should not cause one to
instantly dismiss the advantages of owning a
scooter; as wars continue to rage in the name
of democracy soaked in oil, it makes perfect
sense to want to own a vehicle that uses less
resources than the traditional American
monstrosity, as illustrated by Fleming.
“I thought it would be a great thing to have
a single person vehicle as gas prices were
getting up near $4 when I got it,” Fleming
stated. “It was a little of everything, gas
prices were expensive, but also the scooter
brought back childhood memories. They
have a little more character than sport bikes.”

As the economic recession continues to strain our checkbooks, many people, such as (from
left to right) James Landry, Sean Campbell and Nick Buchheit of Blue Smoke Garage, are
foregoing gas guzzling four-wheeled vehicles for the cheaper, more efﬁcient and more fashionable scooter.

18 LOCAL iQ

| ALBUQUERQUE’S INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE | AUGUST 9 - 22, 2012

PROFILE

Two-stroke trek
Every two years, dozens of scooter enthusiasts are drawn to the open road for a
coast-to-coast trek and the chance to win nothing more than bragging rights
BY CHARLIE CRAGO

T

he ﬁctional cross-country race
known as the Cannonball Run
became a part of the urban
legend the instant Burt Reynolds
donned his iconic leather jacket and set
the pedal to the metal, throwing caution a
mustached ﬁnger. As the concept for the
extra long-distance endurance race evolved
to include all manner of motorized vehicles,
it seems only natural that the next step in
this evolution would be a cross-country
endurance race for scooters.
Enter the Scooter Cannonball Run. And
though, to many, it may seem quite tedious
and boring to try and drive a vehicle
that barely reaches some 70 mph nearly
2,500 miles, there are
those who see such
a challenge as an
PROFILE
opportunity to earn
bragging rights in an
Dandee Fleming
arena few dare to enter.
SCOOTER CANNONBALL
Albuquerque native
RUN, CROSS-COUNTRY USA
Dandee Fleming is a
scootercannonball.com
scooter buff who drove
thedandee.com/tagged/
across the United States
cannonball
— from Savannah, Ga.
to San Diego, Calif.
— competing in the
2012 Scooter Cannonball
Run (SCR). The race took him eight days
to complete on his 200cc, vintage-style
Genuine Stella, reaching top speeds of a
modest 64 mph, while averaging a cool
50. But do not let the average speed fool
into believing the SCR is anything other
than grueling. Riders are expected to act as
their own mechanics, repairing whatever
breaks using parts borrowed from other
drivers. Fifty riders start the race, with just
over half actually ﬁnishing. Often the riders
have only the shared knowledge pool of the
other riders to rely on while conducting
repairs. While this exercise may test a rider’s
frustration limits, it typically results in that
rider developing an otherwise ignored skillset, such as completely rebuilding an engine,
PHOTO BY WES NAMAN
though be it a trial by ﬁre.
In 2012, Albuquerque native Dandee Fleming participated in the Scooter Cannonball Run, a
When Local iQ asked if he was able to
coast-to-coast scooter endurance race that took him eight days to complete on his vintage
Genuine Stella. The prize? Nothing but bragging rights and increased mechanical knowledge.
dismantle and rebuild an engine, Fleming’s
answer was nothing short of poignant. “I
can now! I had done some maintenance and
potential of the scooter community of
lifetime scooter parts, at least something
work on some vehicles with some friends
Albuquerque. Drawing on the resources of
to that extent. How about a sweatshirt?
before, but this was the ﬁrst time I had ever
several local and national scooter suppliers
That’s right; the SCR offers no prize to the
worked on a vehicle alone.”
and mechanics, he was able to secure all the
winner, apart from some seriously exclusive
parts, tires, seats and ﬂuids necessary for the
bragging rights.
Of the 50 or so riders that competed in the
coast-to-coast madness.
race, only about a dozen of those were riders
“It’s basically just about bragging rights at
of vintage scooters, often deﬁned as being at
“Blue Smoke Garage here in Albuquerque
this point. It’s not a race; racing is illegal,”
least 20 years old.
helped me get all tuned up and ready to go,”
Fleming said. “They call it a race because
Fleming said. “I reached out to them, asked
that’s what comes to mind when you hear
“Within the scooter community, there is a lot
if they could help me out, and they were
‘Cannonball Run,’ but really it’s not a race,
of camaraderie,” Fleming explained. “I’m in
great.”
it’s an endurance event. Finishing is the key;
a scooter club here in town, and not only did
I think it’s human nature to be able to say ‘I
these people really encourage me, but they
It would seem natural to assume that a race
won,’ but it’s more than that.”
followed my progress throughout the race.”
as long and difﬁcult as the SCR would at
least offer some kind of serious prize for
The race is only held every two years, so each
Riding under a veritable slew of sponsors,
the winner. Maybe a cash reward, or maybe
winner is graced with a two years of gloating
Fleming is very much a believer in the

before being forced to defend the title or
concede defeat. This is because just ﬁnishing
the SCR is a prize in itself. Truthfully, as
Fleming made it perfectly clear, anyone who
ﬁnishes the SCR is endowed with the right
to brag to other members of the close-knit
scooter community. And while those of us
outside that sphere of inﬂuence may not
see the relevance of such a claim to fame, to
scooter enthusiasts like Mr. Fleming, that’s
what’s it’s all about. “Right now my plan
is to do it again, but it really depends on
the routing and timing of it,” Fleming said.
“When I got done, everyone asked if I was
going to do it again. I was like ‘Yep, I’d do
this again in a heartbeat.’”

erence Winch,
that grand lyrical
marksman,
hits his target again
and again in this
astoundingly ﬁne
volume of poems, his ﬁfth. Describing
a proud amputee in “Pegleg,”
Winch notes Fred Johnson’s “Harley
Davidson suspenders” and then ends
the poem in Fred’s own words:
Either I hit the tree, Fred says,/ or the
car full of people,/ so I hit the tree. I
made this leg/ out of that fucking tree.
Winch can shake your brain or chill
your heart with a deft rhyme, as in
this couplet from “What Dreams Tell
Us”:
Dreams tell us what we’d rather never
know/ then wake us drenched in sleep’s
undertow.
Known for his hilarious sense of
humor, as well as for his acclaimed

20 LOCAL iQ

status as founder,
accordionist and
songwriter for the
grand Irish American
bands Celtic Thunder
and the Narrowbacks
(Winch penned
the now-standard
nostalgic gem
“When New York
Was Irish”), Winch
is also a serious
narrator of the heart’s
painful journeys
through time, family,
deaths and the past
century’s history.
This collection demonstrates that
quality in the achingly lovely family
reminiscences, “Proclamation for My
Father in 1965” and these lines from
“Memo to Bridie Flynn”:
I knew there was no afterlife when you/
failed to visit me from the beyond. I
know there is food,/ sex, music, books,
sleep, art, movies, friends, talk, love./
Please tell me that’s enough. Just once,
pay a little visit./ Tell me what I need to
know before you go.
Memories both of sexual joys and
the end of all touching haunt this
volume’s ﬁnal poem, “Sex Elegy.”
It’s a ﬁt ending to a grand journey
of a book in which this poet forgets

nothing and celebrates
everything — pain and
pleasure equally and
magniﬁcently. Poetry
to treasure and read
over and again.

a touching way that
makes us like him
all the more — and
rejoice in his skill as
a writer in displaying
such honesty so
plainly.
This is a great read,
and one which will
make you at least
hanker to head north
to Alaska. And to fall
wildly in love again.

Alaskan Travels
BY EDWARD HOAGLAND

Hardback, 208 pp 2012,
Arcade Publishing

$22.95
ISBN-13: 978-1611455038

R

espected essayist
and novelist
Edward Hoagland, now in his
80s, looks back some 30 years to
his several journeys around the vast
expanse of Alaska in the company
of his then lover, Linda. Both he and
Linda have long since gone their
separate ways in careers and love
lives, but it was Alaska that bonded
them, if temporarily and intensely,
and Hoagland in this fascinating brief
memoir that shows us how that came
to be.
Alaska is a very special and daunting
place, not to be triﬂed with, and
Hoagland gave the place his very
close attention. Details abound in his
narrative of arctic tribal animosities,
settler-native frictions, human-animal
interactions and, above all, the lethal
challenges posed to humans by the
stark climate realities of Alaska itself.
Along the way, Hoagland reveals his
own vulnerabilities and strengths in

| ALBUQUERQUE’S INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE | AUGUST 9 - 22, 2012

The Savage City
BY T.J.ENGLISH

Paperback, 528 pp
2011, William Morrow
Publishers

$15.99
ISBN-13: 978-006182458

T

.J. English, whose
earlier subjects
have included
Irish, Cuban and
Asian gangsters and
whose reporting on
the current drug war
in Mexico for Playboy
is chilling and ground
breaking, takes on New York City in
its baddest of bad old days: the late
1960s and early 1970s. I lived in the
Big Apple during some of those years,
and it is no exaggeration to say that
the Summer of Love was, at best, a

passing afternoon dream in the City
That Never Sleeps.
Horribly corrupt, racist, murderous
cops face off against homicidallydriven Black revolutionaries in
a dance of death made starker
by the collapsing economic and
social structure of the city. Riots,
uncontrolled violence, nightmarish
drug epidemics and widespread
public fear all converge in a “perfect
storm” of urban turmoil, which traps
a wrongly-convicted Black man,
George Whitmore, Jr., in a hellish
miscarriage of justice.
English, brother of
Local iQ editor Mike
English, interviews
Whitmore and other
survivors of this
maelstrom, including
the rotten-cop snitch
Bill Phillips and the
Black Panther Dhoruba
Bin Wahad. The result
is a chilling, very
convincing picture of
how wrong things went
in America’s greatest
city, not so long ago. A
fascinating read and a
true page turner.
The recently released paperback
edition includes a postscript interview
with ex-cop Phillips, after he’s had
the chance to reﬂect on what English
revealed in the hardcover edition.

“I sometimes lose my faith in luck/I don’t know what I want to be when I
grow up/I just count the rain/Wearing the ﬂoor through the boards again/I
wish I could ﬁnd a soul to steal/I could be the engine, you could be the wheel/
When we’re driving home, I never have to worry about being alone.”
—BRANDI CARLILE, “HARD WAY HOME”

BY HANNAH REITER

B

randi Carlile was born with country and folk music in her
blood. Her mom used to play country bars on weekend nights,
and her ﬁrst gig was singing backup for an Elvis impersonator.
She possesses a voice that seems fabricated to accompany
a mandolin or banjo. But don’t be so quick to dismiss her as simply
another folk singer; she is so much more.
Her latest studio release, Bear Creek, has spent many weeks on top of
the folk charts, yet it is purposefully and thoughtfully genre-defying.
Carlile sticks close to her traditional folk roots in songs like “Keep Your
Heart Young,” and “A Promise to Keep” while paying homage to rock
inﬂuences like Freddy Mercury with ﬁerce electric guitar riffs studding
many of the tracks, and an Elton John-esque piano ballad as her ﬁrst
single (“That Wasn’t Me”).
Carlile wrote the album with her long-time bandmates (and twin
brothers) Phil and Tim Hanseroth, who play guitar and bass
respectively. In a recent phone conversation
with Local iQ, Carlile said her latest
release aimed to keep her audience
PREVIEW
guessing.
“The Twins, particularly Phil, had
Brandi Carlile
this kind of anti-genre mentality
WITH ANDY HULL OF
about the record. He really wanted it
MANCHESTER ORCHESto be sequenced in a way that didn’t
TRA
make any sense,” Carlile explained.
7:30p, Fri., Aug. 17
“We really came up with a vision
Sol Santa Fe
for the record along the lines of not
37 Fire Place, Santa Fe
having a vision.” This vision (or lack
of vision) translates into a beautifully
$33
constructed (or is it deconstructed?)
Tickets: ticketssantafe.
album that really allows Carlile’s
org or 505.988.1234
strengths to shine. Such strengths
solofsantafe.com
include her powerful voice — Sheryl
Crow describes it as “the most amazing
voice I may have ever heard. Soulful.
Country. Perfect in every way” — as well as a raw lyrical honesty that
connects her to her listeners.
Carlile has been on tour for most of the summer to promote Bear Creek,
supporting Dave Matthews band on some stops and headlining others. I
was fortunate enough to catch her (with Ingrid Michealson) at a sold out
Red Rocks Ampitheatre in July and am still reeling from the experience.
Once I caught my breath (both from the views and hundreds of stairs I
had to climb), I took my seat in the second row and watched something
magical happen. Carlile (and the twins) took the stage and held captive
an audience of more than 7,000 people.
On August 17, locals will have the opportunity to see Carlile in a much
more intimate light, among a crowd of only four to ﬁve hundred. I
asked Carlile her thoughts on playing to a crowd that size versus a larger
venue. With a smile in her voice, she said “I love that shit. There will
never be a time in my career, no matter what happens, where I’ll ﬁnd
it difﬁcult to play to four or ﬁve hundred people. It’s a different style of
performing and one that I’m not ready to let go of yet. The preparations
aren’t any different, it has more to do with the communication with the
audience.”
The Sol Santa Fe show is the twelfth of 21 stops that Carlile is making
in August. With such little down time, she will likely not be spending
much time in our state, which she says holds a special place both in her
heart and her desktop. A photo she took at White Sands from her last
trip to New Mexico is still her computer’s background image. “You’d
never guess that sand could be so cool. You can jump 30 feet and land

22

BY HAKIM BELLAMY

in the sand and it’s like nothing. It’s like a dream or something. Like
jumping into the clouds, except it’s much hotter than you thought it
would be.” she said.
When Carlile’s tour wraps up in early September, the self-proclaimed
road-hound will be taking some time off from performing to fulﬁll a
personal goal of marrying her partner, Catherine Shepard, who was
recently appointed as the executive director of Carlile’s charitable
Looking Out Foundation. The two will celebrate their nuptials in
Carlile’s home state of Washington, as well as in England, where
Shepard was the former charity coordinator for Sir Paul McCartney.
With so much on her plate, both personally and professionally, I asked
Carlile a two word question: What’s next?
“I’d love to sing with Dolly Parton, I’d love to sing live with Elton John,
I’d love to have a family,” Carlile wished. “There are so many things I
want to do, and above all else, I just basically sit down at the end of the
day and remind myself how grateful I am for the things I’ve got. All I
can really tangibly hope for is to continue.”

f all Nas ever really needed was
one mic, then all John Maestas
needs is six strings. Jazz guitarists
usually come “vintaged,” like
bottles of wine. However, Maestas
doesn’t even turn 22 until the end
of this month. Talk about “instant
vintage.”
Now before you jazz veteranos
out there roll your eyes and sigh at
another young cat who knows his
way around an axe being called a
“virtuoso” or a “prodigy,” hear me
out. After quitting the trumpet and
the French horn in middle school,
Maestas picked up the guitar the
summer before starting at Manzano
High School. After top-notch
music instruction there, Maestas
headed to the Chicago College of
the Performing Arts (after which
he went to the reputable Berklee
College of Music in Boston). To get
in, he played an original solo guitar
arrangement of Duke Ellington’s
“Solitude.” Maestas thought it went
over well. The judges seemed to like
it alright and he was in. Later, he took
a lesson with the guitar instructor
who was on the audition panel, who
then proceeded to ask where Maestas
learned that particular arrangement.
When Maestas told him he wrote it
himself, he said “What?! Damn man,
I should be paying you!”
A Reggie Gammond Emerging Artists
Award recipient, Maestas proves
he’s both “the funky” of the old
school and the freshest of the new.
Taking his queue from jazz pianist
Robert Glasper, Maestas is known
to bridge the generation gap of his
audience with live performances that
amount to jazz interpretations of
hip hop standards. Though you can
ﬁnd Maestas grooving everything
from funk (Claudio Tolousse Electric
Group, Sugar On Top) to Neo
Soul/R&B (Of The Essence), to
Samba and Batucada, it is Maestas’
arrangements of Dilla and the Ghetto
Boys that is quickly becoming his
signature sound.
Sadly, after having lived in Spain,
Chicago, and Boston, Maestas will
soon be taking his talents to New
Orleans. However, you have a few
more chances to catch him here
in Albuquerque. Along with Asher
Berreras, Maestas is co-leading a
nine-piece ensemble for a 45-minute
set at the Outpost Performance
Space on August 16 at 7:30p.
Otherwise you can catch him and
a host of other jazz technicians at
the open jam session, every Tuesday
from 8-11pm, at Ben Michael’s Café
in Old Town.
For more John Maestas visit najulda.
com/john-maestas.
Hakim Bellamy, Albuquerque’s poet
laureate, is a jazz man’s jazz man.

ank III is like that eccentric hillbilly you enjoy running into
occasionally on a Saturday night at a roadside bar, but you
wouldn’t want him moving in next door — your lawn would die.
The storied grandson of the original country progenitor Hank Williams
is probably the most honest touring musician plying his craft today,
and is also possibly the most versatile. After establishing residency
on the far periphery of what
traditional country has
deemed appropriate, III (as
he is commonly known) has
consistently felt comfortable
wearing his hardcore roots
displayed prominently for his
audiences to not only see,
but experience. A signature
for III’s concerts have always
included a swinging country
set followed by a pummeling
at the hands of one of his
hardcore side projects, such
as longtime road dogs,
Assjack.
This hard touring musician is
currently playing to audiences
to support the proliﬁc release
Hank III
last fall of four offerings on
8p, Tue.,
his new label, Hank3 Records. The ﬁrst is a double disc
Aug. 14
offering, entitled Ghost to a Ghost/Guttertown which
Sunshine
follows the traditional country foot stomping, hellTheater
chasing template of previous Hank III albums. Included
120 Central
in the mix on this release is Les Claypool of Primus
SW,
fame, and Tom Waits, uh ... of Tom Waits fame. As is
505.764.0249
usually the case with III, where there is country, you can
$20 (ages 13
expect hardcore, and on Attention Deﬁcit Domination,
and over)
he delivers just that, as he performs every instrument
Tickets:
heard on the record. Finally, III also released 3 Bar
holdmyticket.
Ranch Cattle Callin’ which is (get this) speed metal
com
interwoven with actual cattle auctioneering. —Jeff Kerby
hank3.com

T

I

f you haven’t been in the right place at
the right time, and been lucky enough
to catch a Tenderizor show, then
8p, Fri., Aug. 10
seize this opportunity to catch one of
Launchpad
the loudest, stab-you-in-ear rock acts to
618 Central SW, 505-764-8887
come out of Albuquerque in a long while.
This amalgamation of some of the city’s
$5
rawest talent is pure sonic magic, served
tenderizor.bandcamp.com
launchpadrocks.com
straight-up, maybe with a Pabst Blue
Ribbon chaser.
Riding the crest of a rock ‘n’ roll renaissance on a lightening-clad
steed under the banner of Que? Studios, the defacto recording mecca
of the Duke City, Tenderizor draws on the thundering guitar riffs and
ravaging drum beats that made the ‘80s so hard to remember. Steve
Hammond’s vocals easily traverse the line between melodic and
chaotic, while Ravon Chacon is always sure to bring the unknown to the
table, drawing on his improvisational musical prowess to turn heads.
Patrick and Mikey Day add a certain depth to the band that can only be
described in terms of the rare beauty found in the moments before a
storm. Kerby’s drumming is sure to both deafen and delight, causing
one to wonder in awe at the percussive mayhem. The result is sure to
be nothing less than impressive, and it may just change your life, or
at least inspire a trade in on the skinny jeans for some acid wash and
safety-pins. Vive le Rock! —Charlie Crago
Tenderizor

WITH GLITTER DICK, CONTORTIONIST, DROUGHT

here’s something unique about bands that consist of brothers
and close friends; you can hear familial chemistry in the music
and see the deep-rooted connection in their live performances.
Austin, Texas quintet The Wheeler Brothers exempliﬁes those traits and
more through the modern-Texas indie rock with a little twang that they
compose.
They have come a long way since brothers Nolan (guitar, vocals), Tyler
(bass) and Patrick Wheeler (drums) were passing the guitar around with
Danny Matthews (guitar,
vocals) in the bars of Baton
Rouge, La. The lineup was
completed back in Austin
with the talents of multiinstrumentalist and vocalist,
A.J. Molyneaux. Over the past
year, The Wheeler Brothers
has broken out as one of the
most exciting bands to watch
as their popularity grows.
The band set out on its ﬁrst
national tour in the summer
of 2011 and, most notably,
took home ﬁve Austin Music
Awards including “Best New
Band.”
With the release of 2011’s
Portraits, The Wheeler
Brothers have established
itself as a band that vibes off
of indie rock but still draws
The Wheeler Brothers
on Texas twang to create a sound that has
7p, Thu., Aug. 16
made them the band to watch in 2012.
The County Line
With an ever-growing fan base and sold-out
9600 Tramway NE, 505.856
performances, you won’t want to miss
7477
The Wheeler Brothers when the band rolls
FREE
through Albuquerque for an intimate (and
countyline.com
free) appearance in the Sandia foothills.
wheelerbrothersmusic.com
—Justin de la Rosa

Events are always subject to
change, check with individual
venues before heading out
** CALENDAR LISTINGS ARE A
FREE SERVICE AND MAY BE CUT
DUE TO SPACE. PREFERENCE IS
GIVEN TO FREE EVENTS.

FRI 10
Ken Ansloan, also known as “Tequila Mockingbyrd,” stars as the psychic Madame Bacardi in Blithe Spirit, the latest production from The Dolls,
Ansloan’s drag troupe. The classic Noel Coward play tells the tale of a married couple’s chaotic visit with a psychic who tells about the husband’s
previous marriage.

Blithe Dolls
Albuquerque drag troupe The Dolls take on another classic play,
‘Blithe Spirit,’ in spectacular fashion
With that production, a precedent of
unorthodox entertainment was put into motion.
love triangle of both living and dead,
While Ansloan has written mostly original work
an eccentric psychic and all the
for The Dolls since then, Blithe Spirit presents
drama and ﬂamboyance of a classic
comedic play: It’s no wonder that
a different opportunity for the troupe. Because
The Dolls, Albuquerque’s very own drag theater The Dolls will be performing at Albuquerque
troupe, has taken on Blithe Spirit as its next
Little Theatre (ALT), which Ansloan describes
production.
as “steeped in history,” he and Henry Avery,
director of ALT, agreed upon
In fact, the classic Noel Coward
the idea of adapting classic
play parallels The Dolls in many
shows for The Dolls.
ways. Both have become timeS TA G E
honored in their own right,
Past shows The Dolls have
both celebrate the paragon of
done for ALT, like Auntie
Blithe Spirit
unconventional characters and
Mame and The Importance
8p, Fri.- Sat.; 2p,
both were created by men with
of Being Earnest, aren’t
Sun., Aug. 10-19
a ﬂair for the ﬂamboyant.
the usual material for
$15
drag troupes, but they do
Ken Ansloan (stage name:
Albuquerque Little Theatre
allow for a coalescing of
Tequila Mockingbird), founder
224 SAN PASQUALE SW
worlds: the oldest theater
of The Dolls, decided to start
505.242.4750
in Albuquerque can align
a theatrical troupe when he
itself with an art that does,
returned to Albuquerque from
albuquerquelittletheatre.org
thedolls.org
in fact, have just as much
New York in the ‘90s. However,
history behind it.
not just any theatrical troupe
would do; as Ansloan put it in
Blithe Spirit ﬁts perfectly
a recent Local iQ interview, he
with this notion. For
“wanted to make Albuquerque more exciting.”
Ansloan especially, the play holds much history
for him, as Blithe Spirit was the ﬁrst play he
The Dolls’ ﬁrst performance was a “Christmas
read in high school. Ansloan also became close
spectacular” inspired by a Judy Garland
to Timothy Gray, who adapted the play to its
Christmas special Ansloan had seen on TV.
musical version, High Spirits, during his time
Instead of portraying Judy Garland, though,
in New York. Additionally, Blithe Spirit naturally
The Dolls chose who they thought would
lends itself to the bravado of a good drag show,
be “the two most unlikely people to do a
being centered on the chaos that ensues after
Christmas show:” Joan Crawford and Marilyn
Monroe.
a psychic accidentally conjures up the bitter

BY JESSICA DEPIES

A

26 LOCAL iQ

| ALBUQUERQUE’S INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE | AUGUST 9 - 22, 2012

spirit of a married man’s previous wife. If any
storyline ﬁts with the showmanship of drag
theatre, it is that of melodramatic women and
complicated relationships.
The Dolls’ adaptation of Blithe Spirit will
incorporate music from its musical version,
High Spirits, although the performers prefer to
simply look like women, and leave out trying to
sound like them. As Ansloan explains, “most of
us can’t sing, but we love music.”
In this respect, drag theatre — and The Dolls
speciﬁcally — allows its performers to do what
they most likely couldn’t do anywhere else.
The troupe, in Ansloan’s words, “…really is like
a nuclear family.”
And this family provides some unique
advantages. Even if you can’t sing, you can still
perform your favorite music. Even if you’re a
man, you can impersonate the most classic
actresses, who, in Ansloan’s words, he “always
wanted to be.” As he puts it, actresses like
Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor were
“always much more interesting. They get to
do high drama and suffer.” And, of course,
Ansloan explains that “with drag, you can get
away with a lot more humor… People expect
you to be over the top and slightly absurd.”
Finally, whether The Dolls are doing a show like
Sex and the ‘Burque, or putting their own spin
on a play for ALT, what Ansloan ﬁnds to be one
of the most rewarding aspects of drag still rings
true: “It just frees you.”

transcendencedesign.com
2012 Breakfast with the Curators:
Breaking the Rules: Margarete Bagshaw
Breakfast with this modernist painter and
artist is followed by a talk and tour of the
stunning retrospective exhibit of her work
featuring several monumental canvases.
8:30a-10a, $35
MUSEUM HILL CAFE
710 CAMINO LEJO SANTA FE, 505.982.5057

albuquerquelittletheatre.org
Four Indigenous Perpetrators of
Words
Get a jump start on Indian Market
events with an evening of innovative
poetry presented and performed by a
group of Indigenous poets committed to
the creative word. This combination of
writers, have inspired audiences all over
North America through honest, thought
provoking and humorous interpretations
on native life today. Performers include
Bruce King, Tara Yvonne Trudell, Alex
Jacobs and Janet Rogers. 5:30p-9p, FREE.
THE LUCKY BEAN CAFE
500 MONTEZUMA, SANTA FE, 505.438.8999

Vital Strides
An event to showcase the work
from Institute of American Indian
Arts alumni, faculty, and students.

“I Love You, You’re Perfect,
Now Change”
Like many recent ﬁlms, plays
and novels, “I Love You, You’re
Perfect, Now Change” is about
“relationships,” by Joe Pietro and
Jimmy Roberts, directed by Adobe
Theater regular Adrienne Cox. The
work takes us from “ﬁrst date”
through weddings, babies and
beyond. 8p, Fri.-Sat.; 2p, Sun.,

FRAMING CONCEPTS GALLERY
5809 JUAN TABO NE, 505.294.3246

framingconceptsgallery.com
2012 BREAKFAST WITH THE
CURATORS:

$13-$15.
THE ADOBE THEATER
9813 4TH NW, 505.898.9222

adobetheater.org
THROUGH AUG 12: PERFORMANCE

“Don’t Stop”
The show is a fusion of Broadwaystyle musical theater meets
Las Vegas performances with
its dance repertoire including
diverse dance styles ranging from
classical ballet to musical theater
for a very entertaining and visual
show. Audience members of all
ages and backgrounds will be
able to identify with “Don’t Stop”
as it encompasses diverse multicultural and multi-generational
dancers and dance styles. 7:30p,
Fri.-Sat.; 2:30p, Sun., $15-$18
SANDIA PREP THEATER
532 OSUNA NE, 505.338.3000

A Moment in Time: Musical
Improv
Never seen before and never to be
seen again, A Moment in Time:
Musical Improv brings together
two of the best worlds of theater
arts – comedic improv and musical
performance. With a talented cast
of seven performers, the improv
will take you on a musical journey,
in just under an hour, based on the
title of musical suggested by the
audience. 8p, Fri., Sat., $8.

Daniel North, one of the artists named a “Local Treasure” this year, describes his natureinspired work as “simply the intimate selections of a greater arrangement.” North’s work is
a testament to his appreciation for nature’s uniqueness, made so without a grand design.
North’s current exhibit, titled Nature, is on display at Palette Contemporary Art & Craft (7400
Montgomery NE Ste 22, 505.855.7777, palettecontemporary.com) through Fri., Sep. 21. Two
receptions will be held — Fri., Aug. 17 and Fri., Sep. 7, from 5-8p.

and culture. Dr. Bernstein will
sign copies of his new book,
Indian Market Legacies, detailing
the history of the world famous
market. Books will be available
for purchase at the breakfast.
8:30a-10a, $35.
MUSEUM HILL CAFE
710 CAMINO LEJO SANTA FE,
505.982.5057

indianartsandculture.org

WED 15
THROUGH AUG. 19: RECEPTION/
EXHIBITION

Zombie Skins: Salon de la Vie
Morte
Forget cowboys and Indians, it’s
all about zombies and Indians this
August in Santa Fe. It features a
mix of indigenous artists who are
known for staying on the cusp of
pop culture. Over 19 artists will
be represented. 6-9p, Wed.; 2-6p,
Thu.-Sat.; 2-9p, Sun., FREE.
AHALENIA STUDIOS
2889 TRADES W. UNIT E, SANTA FE,
505.699.5882

ahalenia.com/zombie

THU

16

SUN 12

Special Exhibition of Jewelry for
Indian Market weekend
An exhibition of new contemporary
ﬁne art jewelry by Yazzie Johnson
and Gail Bird, who together are
recognized for their innovations
in the native SW jewelry tradition.

Going Places: An exhibition of
Painting from Other Countries
NMAL instructor Maggie Price and
her husband, artist Bill Canright,
will exhibit paintings from across
Europe, Great Britain, Australia
and New Zealand. 3-6p, FREE
NEW MEXICO ART LEAGUE
3409 JUAN TABO NE, 505.293.5034

TUE 14
2012 Breakfast with the
Curators: Indian Market
Legacies
Breakfast is followed by a
talk about artists who have left
an indelible mark in the Native
art world and advanced the
understanding of Native arts

4-6p, FREE.

Corrales Society of
Artists’ Art in the Park
This year’s eighth season of
shows promises to be bigger and
better than ever before featuring
local and visiting painters,
sculptors, photographers, potters,
metalworkers, and crafts artisans
who have been juried into the
society. 10a-4p, FREE
LA ENTRADA PARK
CORRALES, NM

Dual(ing) Identities: The Work
of Debra Yepa-Pappan
Yepa-Pappan developed an interest
in graphic design early on, and
after hearing stories from her
father attending IAIA in the 60s,
she decided to come to Santa Fe in
1989. 5p, FREE.
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY
NATIVE ARTS
108 CATHEDRAL, SANTA FE,
505.983.1666

Woven Identities: Basketry Art
from the Collections
Breakfast with Terrol Dew Johnson
(Tohono O’odham), awardwinning basketmaker, teacher and
activist along with Valerie Verzuh,
MIAC exhibit curator. This will be
followed by a talk given by Johnson
about contemporary native
basketry, his own work as a basket
maker, and the Tohono O’odham
Community Action basketry co-op.

19

KIMO THEATER
423 CENTRAL NW, 505.768.3522

FRI 17
THROUGH SEP. 1: RECEPTION/
EXHIBITION

Low-Rez: Native American
Lowbrow Art
A group art show of emerging and
established Native artists working
in the “lowbrow” genre of Pop
Surrealism. 5:30-9p, FREE.
EGGMAN & WALRUS ART EMPORIUM
TWO VENUES: 131 W. SAN FRANCISCO
& 130 W. PALACE, SANTA FE,
505.660.0048

Going Places: An
east your eyes on a sampling of
Exhibition of Paintings
paintings from Europe, Great
from Other Countries
Britain, Greece, Australia and
New Zealand, the work of New
Opening reception:
Mexico Art League instructor Maggie
4-7p, Sun., Aug. 12
New Mexico Art League
Price and her husband Bill Canright.
3409 Juan Tabo NE,
Both city scenes and landscapes have
505.293.5034
struck their fancy from the beginning.
newmexicoartleague.org
The couple strives to capture the
wonder they experience either when
traveling abroad to teach workshops or solely for pleasure. Each
of their paintings is like a window through which others can view
faraway cultures as Price and Canright experience them. They
complete paintings on location (plein air work) as well as in their
New Mexico based studio. You can meet the artists at the opening
reception of this show on Aug. 12, where they will be sharing hors
d’oeuvres from different international cuisines. —Alexandra Swanberg

W

Roger Shimomura:
hen President Roosevelt signed
American Knockoff
Executive Order 9066 in 1942, the
Aug. 10- Sep. 22
lives of thousands of Japanese
Eight Modern
Americans were instantly altered. Roger
231 Delgado, Santa Fe,
Shimomura, an artist who has taught at
505.995.0231
the University of Kansas for over 40 years,
eightmodern.net
was one of the people whose life has been
drastically inﬂuenced by the legislation.
His earliest childhood memories are of the
internment camp he and his family were sent to when he was a toddler.
Recently awarded a USA Ford Fellowship to honor his lifetime of artistic
contribution, Shimomura currently has three separate exhibitions
traveling around the country. One will be spending a little over a month
in Santa Fe, hosted by the art gallery Eight Modern.
The exhibit, titled American Knockoff, features colorful paintings — lively
with movement and design — that have an undeniable edge of humor.
But like most things in life, there are layers. Take a step back and one
might re-evaluate the lightheartedness of the images. “There’s also a lot
of pain and agony embedded in the work,” said Shimomura. His artwork
is proof of the ability of unique experiences to yield creativity, alter
mentalities and change perspectives. —Mallory McCampbell

28 LOCAL iQ

| ALBUQUERQUE’S INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE | AUGUST 9 - 22, 2012

V

Ballet Pro Musica Festival
irtuoso dance and chamber music
8p, Fri.-Sat.; 2p,
masterpieces played live provide the
Sun., Aug. 10-12
rich backdrop for this sixth annual
National Hispanic
celebration, staged as a partnership by The
Cultural Center
National Ballet of Mexico and La Catrina
1701 4th SW, 505.352.1281
String Quartet, featuring Jacqueline Helin
$30-$75
on piano. The Mexican dance company,
Tickets: balletpromusica.org
or Compañia Nacional De Danz, is Mexico
nhccnm.org
City’s classical ballet company. La Catrina
String Quartet, currently faculty quartetin-residence at New Mexico State University, tours regularly throughout the
U.S. and Mexico and has been hailed by internationally recognized cellist and
composer Yo Yo Ma for playing an ambassador role in the world of chamber
music. The year’s Ballet Pro Musica Festival program features Suite Imperial,
with music by Josef Haydn and choreography by Yasmin Barragan; Reﬂections,
with music by Maurice Ravel and choreography by Mark Godden; and Postcard
from Vienna, with music by Yohann Strauss Jr. and choreography by Alex
Ossadnik. —Mike English

FILM

FILM SHORTS
BY JEFF BERG

M

ichael Winterbottom is one of
the most diverse directors in the
business today. His repertoire ranges
from the excellent western, The Claim
to the dark
Trishna
sex drama 9
Aug. 10-16 Screen
Songs. Trishna,
times: 3, 5:30, 8p
his newest
Guild Cinema
ﬁlm, is an
3405 Central NE,
505.255.1848
updated version
ifcfilms.com/films/
of Thomas
trishna
Hardy’s Tess of
the d’Urbervilles that takes place in India.
Trishna’s life is taken apart slowly when
she meets and marries a rich Englishbred hotel owner. From a poor family,
she is unable to escape the lifestyle
thrust (emphasis on thrust) upon her
until it is too late. Dark and brooding.

T
Veteran French actor Michel Piccolo portrays the trepidatious Cardinal Melville in Nanni Moretti’s We Have A Pope. After being elected the new
pontiff by his fellow cardinals, Melville deals with a gripping bout of anxiety regarding his new position as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church,
and does everything he can other than step into the role.

Man of inaction
‘We Have a Pope’ explores what would happen if the next pope didn’t
want the job
BY MIKE ENGLISH

T

he anti-action ﬁlm is not exactly a big-budget genre in the
movie industry. We ﬁlmgoers typically prefer our stars to
decisively stride across the terrain and get ‘er done. Yet human
traits of uncertainty, doubt and simply not wanting to take
the lead are exactly the dramatic and
humorous terrain of We Have a Pope,
a ﬁlm made all the more intriguing
REVIEW
because these character traits are so
seldom explored in cinema.
We Have a
Veteran French actor Michel Piccolo
plays the role of Cardinal Melville, who
is elected by a conclave of his peers as
the next pontiff in a secretive two-day
stretch of balloting. Everyone among
the 100 or so cardinals is happy with
the choice. A puff of white smoke is
sent up the chimney of the Vatican, and
the outside world awaits word.

But there’s a slight problem. As a
senior cardinal approaches the Vatican
balcony and announces to the vast
crowd Habemus Papam! (“We have a
pope!”), Cardinal Melville cringes in a chair, paralyzed. When prodded
by his colleagues to buck up, play his part and address the crowd,
Melville literally screams and runs away, yelling, “I can’t do this!”
His Holiness is soothed, cajoled, berated and outright ordered to accept
his role as the Pope (“Do an act of obedience to the Lord!” the frustrated

30 LOCAL iQ

Vatican public relations man yells at one point), but Melville is simply
not able. When a church-appointed therapist is brought in to diagnose
the problem (played with humor and spark by Nanni Moretti, who also
directs), Melville ﬂatly tells him, “God sees abilities I don’t have.”
The crisis worsens when Vatican security attempts to transport Melville
across town, under cover, to yet another therapist. After the session the
pontiff, wearing civilian clothes, is able to slip away into the crowds.
And so goes the dynamic for the rest of the ﬁlm: the Pope wanders the
streets, stops into play rehearsals, stays in a hotel room, all the while
trying to ﬁgure out why he can’t accept the responsibility of his new
role. “I have a parental deﬁcit,” he tells a pastry chef, using the therapyspeak he’s recently learned, “but I don’t know what that is.”
Meanwhile, at the Vatican, no one knows the Pope has left the grounds.
They all think he is lurking behind the curtains in his quarters, but
that’s just a Swiss Guard playing the role of the pontiff — a scheme
cooked up by the public relations man, whose efforts to keep the entire
situation from unraveling lends the movie some levity.
Piccolo plays the unwilling pontiff with the perfect mix of anxiety, fear
and confusion, all expressed in his face and with minimal dialogue. (His
character name is likely a nod to Moby Dick author Herman Melville’s
short story “Bartleby the Scrivener,” in which Bartleby’s inability to seize
life is captured in his repeated response, “I would prefer not.”)
The papal dilemma at the heart of the movie is only resolved when the
cardinals, ﬁnally alerted to his absence, track down Melville at a play.
They take him back to the Vatican to address the crowd, and the Pope’s
speech, when delivered, goes to the heart of the ﬁlm’s themes about
leadership, action and embracing life.
We Have a Pope is a quiet movie — the opposite of a rapidly paced
action ﬂick. But that’s the point, really. Sometimes a hero just doesn’t
want to be.

| ALBUQUERQUE’S INTELLIGENT ALTERNATIVE | AUGUST 9 - 22, 2012

his outstanding documentary covers
the life, work and, most importantly,
the political activism of the Chinese
contemporary/performance artist Ai Wei
Wei. Blended
Ai Wei Wei: Never
with his
Sorry
topical work
Opens Aug. 17.
and outspoken
CCA Santa Fe
voice, he has
1050 Old Pecos Trail,
remained a
Santa Fe, 505.982.1338
fearless and
aiweiweineversorry.com
outspoken
opponent of the Chinese governments
human rights abuses and censorship
of the same. The ﬁlm takes many forms
of his art — from ﬁlmmaking to an
amazing project that entailed a roomful
of sunﬂower seeds. Strong and moving.

“O,

wretched excess,” someone
once wrote. Such is the case
for the Siegel family, who go from riches
to nearly rags in this stomach churning
documentary.
Queen of Versailles
With their
Opens Aug. 10
eight kids,
Century 14
multitude of
100 Central SW,
undisciplined
505.243.9555
CCA Santa Fe
dogs and
1050 Old Pecos Trail,
no scruples,
Santa Fe, 505.982.1338
this tale of
magpictures.com/
ultimate greed
thequeenofversailles
and stupidity
follows them
as they (mostly she) buys everything in
sight until the “big crash” strips them of
cash. Still in denial when construction
on their 90,000 square foot house
comes to an end, common sense
still fails them ... perhaps rightly so.
Fascinating and nauseating.

PLANET WAVES
ARIES (MAR. 20-APR. 19)
You need to find a creative outlet, or use
one you already have. This could be to
address some anxiety or concern that’s
troubling you; or you may have an idea
or desire brewing, though you’re not sure
it’s worth acting on. Whatever the energy
source, your solar chart says it’s time
to get it out. Your doubts seem to be as
active as your curiosity, so there may be
an element of daring or courage required.
A straightforward reading of your current
aspects describes acting on a fantasy or
desire. This may be something you have to
tease out of yourself, or persuade yourself
to stop pretending you don’t want —
though if you’re too persuasive you may
end up talking yourself out of it. Lead with
your curiosity, which means curiosity about
yourself. If you have a playmate to explore
with, be open about the fact that you want
some help playing out the scene you’re
envisioning, for your own sake. This may
involve role play that casts you as someone
other than who you’re comfortable being in
“real life” — but who you’re burning with
curiosity to experience.
TAURUS (APR. 19-MAY 20)
You seem to be trying to work out the
details of a decision. I suggest you simplify
matters, and focus your most basic goal.
Then ask yourself what, exactly, you need
to do in order to meet that goal. Once you
have an understanding of this, it’ll be a lot
more obvious how to proceed. If you find
yourself bouncing back and forth between
possibilities, or plans, that’s a sign that
you need to focus your goals. There seems
to be an overload of emotional energy
clouding your mind, and for the next week
or so you will need to sidestep this. The
way to do this is by making step-by-step
plans toward your minimal objective — not
your ideal destination or the grand plan.
Clarity is going to be key to this process.
You will know you’re moving in the right
direction when you start to feel a little
insecure or outside of your comfort zone.
That’s the feeling of energy moving into
manifestation. Keep going.
GEMINI (MAY 20-JUN. 21)
As a Gemini, it’s difficult for you to get
your life, or your mind, onto solid ground
— and the current astrology is throwing
one curve after another. However, the place
where you can anchor yourself is with
your words. This is always true for one
born under your sign, however, now that
language is being reduced to either biased
spin or two-sentence chirps, I can not say
this more emphatically. Mercury will be
slowing to a station, holding a long, exact
aspect to Neptune. This rare event is a
personal message to gather your thoughts
and your creative vision, and to focus your
mind — in writing. I don’t care how little
time you think you have. Stop several times
a day and write in your journal, and/or your
blog, and/or developing a short-term plan
of action (preferably all of the above — and
if you don’t have some way to express your
ideas to the community, now is the time to
create one). You will feel better, your mind
will relax and you will orient yourself on a
new flow of income.
CANCER (JUN. 21-JUL. 22)
How are you feeling after the Full Moon?
There was, and still is, a theme of focusing
your financial plans, and getting clear in
any contractual or tax matters that you
may be looking at. Taking action sooner
rather than later will save you energy and
effort. The interests of more than one
person seem to be involved — check in
with your relationship to a group, family or
organization. Though you may be tempted
to put the needs of others above those of
yourself. I am not advocating unmitigated
greed; I am suggesting that you keep your
priorities in order, and make sure that your
books are balanced and your financial
house is tidy before you devote yourself to
the needs of others. There would be one
exception to this: you may be depending
on the success of the whole group or
organization for your own success, in
which case I suggest you focus your
priorities to that worthy objective.

by Eric Francis • planetwaves. net
LEO (JUL. 22-AUG. 23)
You have access to a power source that
may seem like an infinite well of creativity.
This is so potent you may want to
approach it with respect. One way you can
do that is to avoid acting on a rebellious
impulse. And while I am normally an
advocate of curiosity, I suggest that you
monitor that particular thought form with
care and caution as the week progresses.
Your curiosity is so powerful right now
that you have to handle it with the care
of a laser. It���s a force that can activate all
kinds of processes, including some that
you may not find so easy to bring under
control. Therefore, in addition to curiosity,
I suggest you monitor your motives, and
that you be clear what you want to learn,
experience or discover. You also need to do
something that’s exceedingly difficult for
most humans, which is monitor when your
judgment may be off, or when you may
be working with incomplete information.
When either of those conditions is true,
pause.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 22)
You may be finding it difficult to get a read
on where a colleague or partner is coming
from — or to figure out where anyone is
coming from, for that matter. I suggest
you be wary of lofty principles and rules for
living, and translate everything into basic
ideas that you understand. If you cannot
do that, the chances are, it’s not especially
important now. You might, however,
keep tabs on what you don’t understand,
because as Mercury changes directions,
you just might figure it out — and wonder
why you hadn’t seen the obvious. This
is another way of saying give the people
around you room to experiment with what
they believe. Rather than agonize over
whether you think it’s true or accurate,
step back and let them go through their
process. The more ridiculous you think
someone’s opinion is, the more distance
I suggest you give them. You will be
surprised at the results, when they figure
themselves out.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEP. 22)
You’re in unusual territory in a relationship
or partnership, and it may be difficult
to be clear who is really coming from
what point of view. First, account for
your own position and keep track of
your own motives. That may not be easy,
but it will be essential; the integrity of
a relationship — and your part in that
relationship — depends upon it. We are
in a time of history when there’s not really
an understanding of the word “honest.”
This is related to the concept of honor, and
that’s the very thing that’s at stake right
now. I suggest you refrain from making
any promises or commitments over the
next few days, and instead emphasize
maintenance of the ones you’ve already
made. If you discover that there are some
things that you cannot come through
on, you will have a few days soon when
you can have that discussion. Make
sure you take responsibility for any overcommitment or misunderstanding on
your part.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 20)
You want to think like a chess player when
it comes to your professional aspirations.
Clearly, you’re brewing something up,
though it’s now time to think five steps
ahead. It’s true that you cannot exactly
predict the choices of others, though you
do know their general tendencies. Over the
next week or so, however, there’s going to
be a shift in the planetary pattern — and
the pattern of your life — that may have
you rethinking your most important goal.
The feeling will be of something “settling
in,” as if you shift from the mental level
of a topic to understanding how you feel
about it. That information will make it
easier to map out your game plan. As part
of this, you’re likely to have a collaborator
at some point soon, at least on the level
of understanding your agenda. I suggest
you open up your thought process, once
you’ve identified someone as truly having
your best interests at heart. The emotional
grounding piece is the one they will be able
to help you with.

LIBRA (SEP. 22-OCT. 23)
You’re beginning to emerge from a
challenging time in your life, when it’s
seemed that you could get very little right.
I suggest you set aside that feeling —
whether it’s true or not — and consider
the ways in which you have come through
a kind of initiation phase. Imagine yourself
looking back on this time in your life from
a distance of 10 years. Consider the before,
and after factor; what was your life about
before this year, and what did it become
in the years after? Well, you get to decide
that second piece, though remember that
you’re at the fulcrum right now. It’s easier
to point yourself in the direction you want
to go now than it will be, say, in five years.
The first step is getting a sense of that new
direction. I suggest you consider this on
the basis of what you would do if you had
exclusive authority over your life, along with
what you’d do if you really felt comfortable
in your own skin.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 19)
You seem to be wrestling with your faith
in yourself. If you tune into that quality,
you may notice that you’re angry about
something. I just want to tell you — that’s
okay. Anger is energy, and if you use that
energy consciously, it can provoke you
to have a spiritual breakthrough of some
kind. You can then take that to the next
level, which would be making a decision
and acting on it. Starting in the autumn
you will be amping up your career and
your responsibilities. These next couple of
months are the time to invest in your inner
process — with a focus on a decision that
you may feel has to be finalized in the next
two weeks. I think you have longer than
that, but within the first half of August I
suggest you strive to understand what
the issues really are. You’re weighing and
balancing something, and you have to look
exactly at what is on each side of the scale.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 22)
Are you really under as much pressure as
you think? I suggest you get a handle on
that question. At the moment you’re likely
to be feeling an enhanced drive to succeed,
or to stand out. Yet in your ambition you
could easily make an error in judgment
that will lead to anything but success.
Therefore, it’s imperative that you choose
your words carefully, and not make any
moves prematurely. In other words, when
in doubt, delay. You seem to be formulating
a plan for a career move of some kind,
which could work out brilliantly for you, if
your timing is correct. Now is the time to
clarify your plan, and the steps you need to
take. Work on getting the language correct.
There’s something about the enterprise
I’m describing that feels like mixing oil
and water — which may turn out to be
metaphors for creativity and authority.
Remember that seen one way, authority
means authorship. And this brings us back
to clear words and clear ideas, which must
support your goals, or be set aside.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MAR. 20)
Work has not been easy the past few
weeks, with Mercury retrograde in the
house that covers that topic for you. You
may have many backed-up projects, though
I suggest you can ease off of the throttle
for the next couple of weeks or so while
you do the most significant thing you can
do — get clear. You need to be putting at
least a third of your time and energy into
recreation. By that I mean “recreating”
yourself, as well as taking some stress
off of your mind and spirit. This may take
some discipline (like closing the laptop at a
certain time), though it will pay off because
by having a fresh mind you will add to
your efficiency. That’s the thing you want,
and any plans you make from this point
forward need to be thought through with
that one concept in mind. What you give
you tend to give from your spirit, and that
cannot be measured accurately in worldly
terms. Less effort does not translate to less
value, less beauty or less of anything else.

heard a very sad story from a job
recruiter who had just ﬁnished a call
with a candidate who sparked their
interest. After reading a well-written
cover letter and dynamic resume, the
recruiter called the candidate to learn
more about them and potentially set up
an in-person interview. To the recruiter’s
dismay, the ﬁrst two minutes of the
phone conversation were focused around
the candidate trying to ﬁgure out which
employer was calling; which made the
recruiter question the true level of interest.
Needless to say, the recruiter’s ﬁrst
impression was not a very positive one. To
me, this is a tragedy. One of the hardest
tasks is capturing an employer’s attention
with your resume and cover letter; and this
candidate made it that far only to drop
the ball. Don’t get me wrong, in today’s
competitive job market it is not uncommon
to apply for multiple positions; just as the
candidate in the above story. While the
positions may be similar in responsibility,
the speciﬁc details and employers are

company when a recruiter calls you. Keep
the list by the phone or on you at all times.

Be proactive with questions:
Take the time to think of a few questions
you would like to ask the recruiter based on
likely very different. It is important to stay
organized with the companies you have
reached out to, in order to better position
yourself and a serious and interested
candidate. Here are a few tips on how you
can be prepared for an employer call.

the job posting and your company research.
This will help you start a fruitful conversation
and show the recruiter that you have been
seriously considering the position.

Stay updated:

Have a central document:

After every phone call, add notes from your
conversation into your document. This
can help you with subsequent calls, as
well as help you prepare for an in-person
interview with the company. Regardless of
whether you apply for one position or 10, it
is important that you are keeping accurate
notes of your job search process. Treat
your job search as a full-time position and
potential employers as clients.

Whether on an iPad or paper notebook,
have one centralized location that houses
your information. This way you can easily
reference your list to ﬁnd the correct

Theresa Maher is vice president of media and
editor of ‘Recruiting News’ at Jobing.com. For
the latest Albuquerque job openings, visit the
careers section of Local-iQ.com.

The more info the better:
Keep a running list of every position you
apply to. Include the company name, any
contact information you have, the speciﬁc
details of the position and what you
included in your cover letter.

C OM M U N I T Y E VE N T S

PAGE ONE BOOKSTORE
11018 MONTGOMERY NE, 505.294.2026

page1book.com

SAT

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Dog Body Language Workshop
This two-hour long presentation
taught by a Certiﬁed Pet Dog
Trainer, will help you to learn what
dogs are saying to each other, and
to you. You will learn how your dog
perceives your body language and
learn how to use this knowledge to
be a better observer of your dog.
10a-Noon, $10
ANIMAL HUMANE OF NEW MEXICO
615 VIRGINIA SE, 505.938.7900

Bark for Life
The American Cancer Society Bark
for LifeTM is a noncompetitive walk
event for dogs and their owners to
raise funds and awareness for the
American Cancer Society’s ﬁght
against cancer. 6-8p, donations
EL OSO GRANDE PARK
MORRIS & OSUNA, 505.262.6026

uuwestside.org/wordpress.org/
home/forum/
Pet Loss Group
A group supporting those who have
lost or anticipate the loss of an
animal companion. 10a, $20.
ANIMAL HUMANE NEW MEXICO
615 VIRGINIA SE, 505.265.3087

whatwouldugive.org
Michael Gray Book Signing
Michael Gray will talk about his
newest novel, Asleep at the Wheel of
Time, a science-ﬁction effort about
an asteroid hurtling toward Earth.
He also will discuss his memoir,
The Flying Caterpillar. 2p, FREE
PAGE ONE BOOKSTORE
11018 MONTGOMERY NE, 505.294.2026

The Back to School Fashion Issue

Three different levels of school, many new looks for the back to school set. Plus: Scooters are huge in Albuquerque. Local iQ profiles the scooter scene and one scooter fanatic who drove his Stella all the way across the country.